Plank Bird Dog | Illustrated Exercise Guide

Primary muscles: Core
Secondary muscles: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, hips, shoulders, arms
Equipment: No equipment

PLANK BIRD DOG INSTRUCTIONS

1. Start in a plank position with your body in a straight line, your wrists under your shoulders and your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Extend one leg and the opposite arm at the same time.
3. Pause for 3 to 5 seconds, return to the starting position and switch sides.
4. Continue alternating sides until the set is complete.

PROPER FORM AND BREATHING PATTERN

Keep your spine, head and neck neutral and aligned, and tighten your core and your glutes. Breathe in as you extend one leg and the opposite arm and maintain your back flat and your hips level.

EXERCISE BENEFITS

The plank bird dog is a full body exercise that tightens your core and strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, quads, hips, shoulders, and arms. This exercise helps prevent lower back pain and improves your posture and balance.

DEMONSTRATION

SETS AND REPS

Practice doing regular planks and bird dogs first. Once you’re comfortable with your form, add 2 or 3, 30 second to 1 minute sets of the plank bird dog exercise to your core or full body workouts.

CALORIES BURNED

To calculate the number of calories burned doing the plank bird dog, enter your weight and the duration of the exercise:

RELATED CORE EXERCISES

Try these other core exercises to tighten, sculpt and strengthen your abs, obliques, lats and lower back:
Donkey kick twist
Leaning camel
Wall crunch
Sprinter crunch